22 October 2008

Feminism

It has recently occurred to me that some women have a problem with Sarah Palin. This problem stems not from the fact that she is a woman, per se. It stems from the fact that she is a pro-life, pro-gun, Republican women who lives her life traditionally. Some women feel that she is less of a woman because of the beliefs that she holds. Some of these women calls themselves feminists. How is treating a woman like any less than a woman because of the beliefs that she holds as less than a woman being feminist? How is saying that an intelligent woman is less than a woman for refusing to emasculate her husband, her running mate, and other male constituents feminist?

It seems to me that these women are threatened of Sarah Palin. It seems that these women fear the type of woman that Sarah Palin is. She is traditional in that she doesn't see the need to throw off her femininity to live the life of a woman pretending to emulate masculinity. I mean, isn't that the point of feminism? The very fact that she CAN be a governor, vice-presidental candidate, NRA member, Republican, AND remain true to her feminity is the ultimate in feminism, the goal of feminism.

I consider myself a feminist. I think that women should be treated equally and fairly. I believe that a woman shouldn't be seen or treated as less than human simply because she is a woman. I think that women should be allowed to voice their opinions without being referred to as "bitches." I believe that women should have the right not to be taken advantage of simply because they are not men. I believe that women have the right to be treated fairly in the workplace and recieve equal pay for doing the same work as a man does. I believe that no human being should be seen as merely a sexual being. Sexual harrassment should NOT be tolerated. These are all the basic tennets of feminism.

Where I differ in opinion with other "feminists" is that I also believe that being a woman means embracing the fact that you are a woman, every part of being a woman, not merely those characteristics we have in common with men. To embrace, not cast off your womanhood is to be a true feminist. In casting off womanhood and femininity, you are attempting to fill the role of a man. Trying to do this only plays into the hand of sexists and genderists in that it says to society and the world that being a woman is simply not good enough, that being a woman and having power are mutually exclusive. This leads to the conclusion that being a "feminist" in the way in which most people refer actually is being a MASCULIST, meaning wanting women to be more like men, the very opposite of what feminism should mean.

To me, being a feminist means fighting for the right for a woman, ANY woman, to be able to gain office based upon her intelligence, experience, characteristics, and patriotism without being seen as less than human, without being treated as less simply because she is a woman. It also means RESPECTING women who are in power, DESPITE differences from your point-of-view. It is amazing to me that most of these women who call themselves feminists fight for the right for their views to be respected without respect for any view other than theirs. They believe that woman who are pro-life and republican need to be shown the error of their ways, that we are ignorant and need to be taught how to be more open-minded and educated.

The fear felt by extreme feminists when viewing Sarah Palin is not that she is misrepresenting women...it's that she is representing us, and showing the world what a real woman can do. It is a threat to them to have an educated person represent the conservative woman and be a positive role model. It scares them because it shows feminism in its truest form: what feminism should be. It removes their argument that conservative women are ill-educated and un-informed.

I consider myself an open-minded person. I am also a Republican, a Catholic, a pro-lifer, an NRA member, a woman, a sister, a daughter, a grand-daughter, an aunt, and a Godmother. I vote in line with what I believe is right. I can thank my parents for that. They taught me to embrace who I am and what I believe. They taught me to be respectful and considerate of others. I have never been "not good enough," and I don't ever intend to fit that description in any way. Having someone who says that being a woman IS good enough and you can be powerful, beautiful, compassionate, intelligent, and feminine is a welcome change from all the magazines and tv shows that tell us that we are not good enough.

The fact that Sarah Palin is a governor, a mother, a vice-presidential candidate, a soon-to-be grandmother, and true to her self as a woman is why she is the ultimate feminist and partially why I want her as my next Vice President.

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About Me

I'm a Cajun girl living in Arkansas. I love spending time with my family and friends as well as learning more about my faith. I like to hear different perspectives and witness other cultures. Foreign language intrigues me. I'm a good, Southern girl...I love my football!